Monday of the Third Week of Easter
Lectionary: 273
Reading 1 Acts 6:8-15
Stephen, filled with grace and power,
was working great wonders and signs among the people.
Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen,
Cyreneans, and Alexandrians,
and people from Cilicia and Asia,
came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
Then they instigated some men to say,
“We have heard him speaking blasphemous words
against Moses and God.”
They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes,
accosted him, seized him,
and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
They presented false witnesses who testified,
“This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law.
For we have heard him claim
that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place
and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”
All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Responsorial Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30
R. (1ab) Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Though princes meet and talk against me,
your servant meditates on your statutes.
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
I declared my ways, and you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
The way of truth I have chosen;
I have set your ordinances before me.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Matthew 4:4b
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
One does not live on bread alone
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel John 6:22-29
[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.]The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea
saw that there had been only one boat there,
and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat,
but only his disciples had left.
Other boats came from Tiberias
near the place where they had eaten the bread
when the Lord gave thanks.
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there,
they themselves got into boats
and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
And when they found him across the sea they said to him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered them and said,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me
not because you saw signs
but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”
So they said to him,
“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Following Jesus Across the Sea
I have talked some about my parenting struggle. If I am honest, I think I struggle with anger towards my kids more than most moms. A lot of moms I know seem to be able to let things roll of their back, or not take it personally when their child is defiant. It pushes my buttons and builds until I’m so mad that I see my kids negatively and I can’t find any enjoyment in them. My actions are also contributing to the problem because I expect too much of myself in the first place, and then berate myself when I fail. And all of this while I am a follower of Jesus, who should be changed and better. Its defeating.
The people in the gospel reading today are chasing after Jesus. They have seen His works, felt His power, and already eaten the bread He has given them. Already they know that He is what they need. Hungry for more, they follow Him.
I have followed Jesus. I have seen His works and felt His power in my life, and I have experienced the bread of life that He offers. But I am still struggling with this frustration and anger. Shouldn’t I be better now? So what do I do now? How Jesus, can I be free of this struggle, so that I can do my job, as a wife and mother, with love and grace and mercy?
“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”
This is what Jesus asks of us. To believe in Him. I can’t change or fix this myself. I have to believe in Him, follow Him daily and allow Him to change me. I have to stop beating myself up for my failures and instead surrender them.
What area of your life do you need to let go of and let Jesus take control?
Jesus, today we need a fresh start. We need to let go of the past failures and walk forward with you. Nothing will change overnight, and we will still fail in this struggle. Probably even today. But give us the strength to keep persevering. Open our eyes when our struggle is upon us and give us an opportunity to choose differently. Finally, give us grace and help us forgive ourselves when we fail. Thank you for your grace, mercy, and love. Help us to be like you, Jesus.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.